TIOAWN Chapter 26

“A person who’s been painting all their life is this slow just to wave their brush a few times?”  

What kind of grand painting do you think you’re going to create that you’re dragging your feet like this? Song Ho-yeol looked Bo-young up and down.  

“Paintings don’t get completed just because you make up your mind to finish them, dear.”  

“Just paint what you’ve decided to. In any case, a painting will sell as long as it has the name Jin Bo-young on it.”  

“That’s—”  

“Don’t act all pretentious like you’re some kind of artist.”  

Song Ho-yeol grabbed Bo-young’s right shoulder tightly.  

“Chairman.”  

Pretentious, he said. The insulting words made Bo-young’s face stiffen.  

“Make it cost-effective. Cost-effective. It’s a good thing for Woo-jin anyway.”  

Ignoring the redness rising in Bo-young’s face, Song Ho-yeol casually patted her shoulder.  

“Even for cost-effectiveness, a painting has to look valuable to some extent to sell, don’t you think?”  

Bo-young wanted to retort, unable to hold back her frustration, but Song Ho-yeol didn’t budge.  

“That’s for you to figure out. Keep this in mind—being the mistress of Songhwa Group isn’t about art. It’s about making money.”  

Leaving behind the unspoken warning that mistakes wouldn’t be tolerated, Song Ho-yeol abruptly turned his broad frame away. As she watched his retreating figure, Bo-young gripped the handle of her handbag so tightly it was as if she might tear it apart.  

*** 

Tap. Tap.  

The sound of IV fluid dripping was clearly audible in the stillness of the emergency room at dawn. Moo-geon looked down at Ha-yoon with an unwavering gaze, his arms crossed.  

Hearing the doctor say she seemed to be under a lot of stress, he slightly raised an eyebrow. But at the mention of malnutrition, he scoffed.  

Finally, when the blood test results indicated slightly elevated inflammation levels requiring treatment, his expression darkened.  

Given that she had a history of heart surgery, it would be best to conduct related tests. Their hospital lacked the capacity for such examinations, so they recommended transferring her to a larger hospital.  

The doctor recited the standard protocol as if reading from a manual, standing before Moo-geon, whose face seemed incapable of bleeding a single drop.  

“Malnutrition?”  

Ha. No matter how many times he thought about it, it was absurd. Could she not even find food to eat just because her father was gone? Seo Ha-yoon, who was undoubtedly coddled and pampered, suffering from malnutrition? Even a passing dog would laugh.  

“Sir.”  

Even when Kang-heon called him, Moo-geon did not respond immediately. His gaze remained fixed on Seo Ha-yoon.  

What should he do with him? Should he call him again?  

While Kang-heon hesitated in his deliberation, Moo-geon gave a slight tilt of his chin.  

“Find a hospital.”  

The command came before he could even finish his thought, causing Kang-heon to swipe a hand across his forehead in slight bewilderment. Was he really going to have her admitted?  

Still unable to organize his thoughts, Kang-heon hesitated before speaking again.  

“A hospital, sir?”  

He knew repeating the same words would likely earn him a reprimand, but he couldn’t help but ask. Every decision his boss made regarding Seo Ha-yoon was unexpected.  

“Chief Ji.”  

As expected. Moo-geon’s voice, now cold and firm, cut off the redundant conversation immediately.  

Of course. They hadn’t even caught Seo Myung-sik yet, and now Jin Bo-young was looking for Seo Ha-yoon. Given his boss’s nature, which tolerated not even the smallest gaps, this situation must have been aggravating.  

“If it’s a secluded place with minimal interference, Dr. Yoon might know of a few options. I’ll arrange one by today.”  

Because it wasn’t about hospitalization—it was about locking Seo Ha-yoon away in a hospital.  

Kang-heon finally understood.  

“A small hospital?”  

Moo-geon turned his sharp gaze toward Kang-heon, his expression chilling. Was that the extent of Kang-heon’s thinking? His look was one of quiet reproach.  

“Ah, then I’ll look for hospitals that are either about to shut down or already closed and don’t even appear in search results.”  

By now, the news that Seo Ha-yoon was in a hospital likely hadn’t spread. It would take some time before attention turned to Cha Moo-geon.  

By the time Lee Sung-sik started tracking Seo Ha-yoon’s whereabouts, it would already be impossible to find her.  

This way, there would be no actions that might go against Moo-geon’s will.  

Kang-heon quietly pulled out his phone.  

“Chief Ji.”  

“Yes.”  

“Ji Kang-heon.”  

Moo-geon deliberately called his name twice. Only then did Kang-heon realize that something had gone terribly wrong and immediately bowed his head.  

With one hand in his pocket, Moo-geon stared intently at the now-lowered Kang-heon with discontent.  

Just one look, and Kang-heon’s head sank even lower.  

“Find a large hospital. See if they have an available VIP room for immediate admission, bypassing the emergency room.”  

Admission.  

Cha Moo-geon had ultimately decided to take Seo Ha-yoon back under his care.  

“Vet the medical staff thoroughly and secure a VIP suite.”  

There was no need to ask whether this order was meant as protection or imprisonment.  

At this, Kang-heon quietly swallowed.  

A VIP suite?  

Even though such a space would provide privacy, just the fact that Cha Moo-geon had taken Seo Ha-yoon in would be enough for rumors to start.  

As he watched Ha-yoon curl up and frown in pain, Moo-geon sighed and rubbed his throat.  

Her breathing was labored, as if even taking in air was difficult. She exhaled in broken intervals, struggling to breathe smoothly.  

From Yangyang to Seoul, it would take at least two and a half hours.  

“She can’t make it to Seoul. Find the fastest admission option within Gangwon Province.”  

His tone was dry and indifferent.  

Had he not been keeping his eyes fixed on Seo Ha-yoon even as he spoke, it would have sounded as if he were simply disposing of some unwanted baggage.  

With one hand still in his pocket, Moo-geon silently recalled the events by the beach.  

—Cha Moo-geon.  

A face tinged with blue. Cracked lips. Eyes more than halfway unfocused. In a state that was clearly anything but normal, she had still managed to utter his name.